1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus connected to a remote centralized control apparatus through a communication line and controllable by the centralized control apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Arts
A system for controlling a plurality of copying machines has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,834. In the disclosed system, various information about each copying machine, such as the total number of copied sheets, states of troubles, the residual number of sheets to be copied and the residual quantity of toner, etc. are transmitted to a computer. The computer electrically processes the transmitted information and feeds back instructions to the corresponding copying machines.
According to this type of system, a plurality of copying machines supplied to a user are electrically connected to a centralized control apparatus through a communication network such as a telephone line or the like thereby to make it possible to effect remote control for the copying machines. The centralized control apparatus is provided at the location where a controller in a service station exists. The controller allows the centralized control apparatus to receive therein information transmitted from each copying machine. Thus, control services such as the issuance of bills corresponding to the number of copies, the dispatch of a service man for responding to each trouble, etc. are executed.
However, even in the case of the copying machines connectable to the aforementioned control system, there are those which are used without being connected to the control system. When troubles occur in such copying machines, the user does not know what to do with troubles. Even in the case of simple troubles that the user can deal with, the user telephones the service station to make a repair request.
Simple troubles that the user can cope with, are sometimes included in the troubles occurring in each copying machine as in the case where originals conveyed by an original feeding device are jammed, copied sheets are jammed, toner is run out and copying sheets accommodated within a sheet feeding cassette are used up, for example. On the other hand, there is also a trouble such a type that when an exposure lamp has burnt out, for example, it is necessary for the service man to replace it with another.
Now, when the troubles occur in the copying machine connected to the control system, trouble data indicative of the states of the troubles are transmitted to the control apparatus in the service station from the copying machine. Thus, even if the user has recovered simple troubles such as the jamming of originals, etc. after the simple troubles has occurred, the service station decides without being informed of the recovery of the troubles that the copying machine still remains in troubled states. As a result, a problem occurs that the service man is dispatched to the user for repairing the troubled copying machine.